Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 433

On the hillside, Camila Davis was still out foraging for herbs with Sarah Brown.

She’d figured Dennis Williams and Lillian were nearby—no need to stray too far—so she and Sarah just poked around the immediate area. It was a rare chance to find wild herbs and try out new remedies, sure, but she knew there were other options if they came up short. Maybe not quite as effective, but workable.

What Camila didn’t expect was for Sarah to wander off.

Camila was busy sorting through the wildflowers and roots she’d dug up, thinking Dennis and Lillian must be done sketching by now. She was just about to call them over so they could head back down the mountain when Larry Adams came jogging up, looking flustered.

“Have you seen Sarah?” he blurted out.

Camila blinked. “No, I haven’t.”

She’d been so focused on her search that she’d lost track of Sarah.

Aaron, who’d been nearby, gave Larry a puzzled look. “Weren’t you two having a contest to see who could find more? Didn’t you notice where she went?”

Camila shot them both a look. “Seriously? You two were competing?”

Honestly, it was almost like wrangling a bunch of kids on a school field trip.

Still, Camila was starting to get seriously worried.

She turned to Larry. “Which way did you guys go?”

Larry’s expression shifted, worry creeping in. “We started out together, but then Sarah took a wrong turn at one of the forked paths.”

Aaron chimed in, “The lower part of the mountain’s being developed, but up top, it’s just wild forest—tons of rocks, barely any trails, and so many forks in the path. I’ve heard of tourists getting lost up here before.”

He hesitated. “You don’t think Sarah’s gotten herself lost, do you?”

Camila checked the time. It was already past three in the afternoon. They’d come up pretty late. No way could they stick around much longer—the sun would be setting soon.

If Sarah was out there lost, things could get dangerous, fast.

Camila tucked her herbs away, her priorities shifting instantly. “No more talking—let’s go find her!”

“Right,” Larry nodded, looking sheepish. After all, she’d wandered off during his little contest.

Aaron wanted to join the search, but Larry stopped him. “Didn’t we come up here with the security guys? Go get them—more people means we’ll find her faster.”

“On it!” Aaron dashed off without another word.

Camila didn’t waste time. She and Larry headed back the way they’d come, shouting Sarah’s name as they went.

“Sarah! Where are you?”

Aaron didn’t try to sugarcoat it. “Sarah got separated. Camila and Larry are looking for her now. Larry said to get some of the security guys to help.”

Dennis’s frown deepened. “They’re already looking?”

“Yeah.”

“Get everyone on it,” Dennis ordered, his voice tight. “We need to bring her back safe.”

“Understood!” Aaron rushed off.

Dennis hesitated only a moment before grabbing Lillian’s things, telling her to stay put, and hurrying after the search party himself.

Suddenly, everything felt frantic and out of control.

Dennis and his group moved quickly, but the weather wasn’t on their side. The sky, which had just been overcast, was now darkening as a cold wind kicked up. The air grew heavy and humid.

Within minutes, clouds rolled in, and the first fat raindrops began to fall.

Camila, out on her own now, felt the first splashes of rain and realized how fast things were spiraling. She’d already passed three forks in the trail, marking each one carefully with arrows and broken branches.

But as the wind picked up and the rain started to pelt down, Camila’s heart sank. Would her marks be washed away? Would the snapped branches be blown off the path? If so, finding her—or being found herself—would be next to impossible…